Saddle construction



June l 1943- R. w. FAULHABER 2,320,421

SADDLE CONSTRUCTION Fild sept. '11. 1941 INVENTOR. from/vn w maw/waff? BY m Arrowfys Patented June 1, 1943 -UNITED STATES PMENT` oFFlcs SADDLE CONSTRUCTION Roland W. Faulhaber, Monroeville, Ohio Application September 11, 1941, Serial No. 410,447

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of saddles for bicycles or the like.

It is among the objects of this'invention to provide a saddle construction wherein a rigid seat member, securely clamped to a saddle post by a one piece clamp, is resiliently supported with respect to the saddle post or reach member. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a saddle in which the rear portion of the seat is provided with spaced depending helical springs which are secured intermediate their ends to a reach or truss member. It is a further object of this' invention to provide a saddle having a yoke or bail secured to the seat and arranged to extend into the coil springs 'with the ends thereof terminating adjacent the lower end of the springs. It is a further object of this invention to provide a saddle wherein the connection between the lower end of the springs and the bail or yoke is such as to avoid injury occurring therefrom, It is a furtherV object of this inven` tion to provide a clamp oi a one piece construction which securely locks the seat to a seatpost' yet permits the seat to be adjusted through a wide range of positions. It isa further object of this invention to provide a saddle that is com-V pact, durable and rigid. Further objects and advantages relating to simplicity of construction and economy of manufacture will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a saddle embodying the present invention, the View being taken on line I---I` of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the saddle and post;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the saddle showing the spring assembly; the view being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View of the improved clamp, the View being taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clamp.

Referring to Fig. l, the saddle shown therein is `of the usual contour and comprises a sheet metal base member I@ provided with a fabric covering I'I which is secured to an inturned edge or bead I2 formed on the base member. A suit` able rcushioning material lli, such as curled hair or the like, is interposed between the base mem-l ber- It vand the fabric covering II providing a padded scat for the saddle.

The forward or nose portion is pivotally secured to a reach or truss member of the saddle I6 by an arcuate shaped connecting link I8. The reach Iii is composed of a pair of spaced `parallel strips of steel arranged longitudinally of the saddle subjacent the base member I0, with the ends beneath the rear part of the seat being spaced apart a greater distance than the remaining portion of the reach for engagement with the saddle springs. The forward ends of the reach member I are retained in spaced relation by a bolt or rivet I9 having a collar or bushing 20 mounted thereon intermediate the steel strips of the reach. One end of the connecting link I8 is affixed to the bushing 20, while the other end is secured to the lower face of the base member I0 remote from the forward end of the saddle. The connection between the bushing 2i] and link IS is such as to allow the iorward end of the saddle to pivot slightly with respect to the reach I6,

The rear end of the saddle is supported, with respect to the reach I5, by a pair of spaced coiled wire springs 22 which are formed with convolutions of reduced diameter at their lower ends 23. The upper ends 24 of the springs are secured to the base member Il of the saddle by bolts or rivets 25, while the intermediate portions of the springs 22 are secured to the enlarged end por# tion of the reach I6 by bolts 26. The coils of the springs intermediate the seat and the reach are spaced apart and constitute the compression section of the springs, while the convolutions beneath the reach are arranged in such a manner as to be distended and constitute the tension section oi the springs. An arcuate shaped link 21 is secured to the bolts 26 intermediate the enlarged ends of the reach I6 for retaining the springs 22 in spaced relation upon the application of a load on the seat.

As shown in Figs. l and 3, a bail or yoke member 3i) is suspended from the lower face of the base member Ii] by clips 3l which are secured to the bolts or rivets 25. The depending legs 32 of the bail member 30 project downwardly through the springs 22 and terminate in eyes 34 which s are secured to the lower ends of the springs by rivets'35. The rivets 35 are provided with smooth rounded outer faces 36 that tend'to merge withthe lower convolutions of the springs and thus provide the ends of the springs with a surface that is smooth and continuous and free from any sharp projections. By securing the legs of the bail member 3D to the lower ends of the springs and the reach I6 to the intermediate portion of the springs the saddle is provided with a spring means that will have both a tension and a compressionw action in response to a seat load. 'Ihat is when a load is applied to the seat the upper convolutions will be compressed to a certain degree between the seat and reach member, while the lower convolutions will be distended.

'I'he intermediate portion of the reach member I6 is formed with a pair of downwardly extending substantially parallel wings or lips 38 which are provided with aligned apertures 39. The inner faces of the'wings 38 are provided with serrations or indentures 4I) surrounding the apertures 39. A yoke shaped clamp 4|, Fig. 5, formed from a single piece of sheet metal is provided to connect the reach member to a saddle post 42 which is formed with a stem portion and a substantially horizontal upper end portion 43. The edges 44 of the clamp 4I are bent inwardly normal to the sides and provided with lips 45 adv jacent the base of the clamp 4| defining a tubu` lar portion for the reception 0f the horizontal end 43 of the saddle post 42. The legs of the yoke or clamp 4| are provided with aligned apertures 46 which are adapted to register with the apertures 39 in the wings 38 for the reception of a clamping bolt 41. The outer faces of the yoke 4I are provided with serrations or indentures 48 which are adapted to coact with the serrated surfaces of the Wings 38.

In the assembly of the saddle the cushioning material I4 is arranged upon the base' member I0 after which the fabric covering II is placed thereover and secured to the bead I2 on the base member. Any suitable means may be employed to additionally secure the covering I I to the base member, such as bolts 50 shown in Fig. 1. The springs 22 and bail member 30 are then secured to the base member I0 with the depending legs 32 of the bail afxed to the lower ends of the springs. The use of rivets having rounded outer ends for securing the springs 22 to the bail member 30 is of considerable importance with respect to the safety factor in that it prevents the hands, body and clothing of the user from being caught,

scratched or torn from accidental contact therewith. After the .securement of thek springs to the base member the rear end portion of the reach I6 is affixed to the springs by the bolts 26, While the forward end of the reach member I6 is secured to the nose of the saddle by the connecting link I 8. With the horizontal end 43 of the saddle post 42 disposed in the tubular portion of the clamp 4I, the legs of the clamp are then projected between the Wings 38 until the apertures in the clamp are in alignment with the wing apertures for the reception'of the clamping bolt 41. Upon the tightening of the bolt 41 the wings 38 are drawn together compressing the clamp 4I so that the reach IB is securely attached to the saddle post. The serrations provided on the clamp 4| and wings 38 allow the saddle to be adjusted at different angles with respect to the saddle post and yet insure a positive lock between the reach member and clamp.

The use of a pair of parallel steel strips to form the reach member I6 materially reduces the cost of manufacturing the saddle. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to form the reach from a single piece of strip steel bent into a generally T-shape with the return bends of the T-shaped reach being secured to the springs 22. A Certainof the features embodied in the clamp 4I and the manner in` which it is securedto the reach member I6 are shown in Vmy copending application, Serial Number 376,139, filed January 75v 27, 1941, which has become Patent Number 2,300,379, on October 27, 1942.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to Without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. In a cycle saddle assembly, a pair of longitudinally disposed reach members, a saddle post, means for securing the reach to said post comprising a U-shaped clamp having the edges bent inwardly normal to the sides, lips formed on said edges adjacent the base of the clamp and defining a tubular portion for the reception of the saddle post and a clamping bolt for locking said clamp` between said reach members and anchoring said saddle post within the tubular portion of the clamp.

2. In a cycle saddle assembly, a pair of spaced longitudinally disposed clamping members suspended from the saddle, a pair of opposed depending wings on the clamping members having aligned apertures with serrations on the inner faces surrounding the apertures, a saddle post comprising a stem and a hooked end, an elongated yoke having aligned apertures in the leg portions with serrations surrounding the apertures on the outer faces, the side edges of said yoke being bent inwardly normal to the serrated faces and provided with lips adjacent the base of the yoke defining a tubular portion for the reception of said hooked end, said yoke having the apertured legs arranged between said wings and means extending through the apertures in said wings and yoke to retain the serrations on said wings in engagement with the serrations on said yoke.

y3. A saddle for cycles including a seat and a reach with connecting springs secured thereto, a

pair of opposed depending projections on said reach having aligned apertures therein, a saddle post comprising a stem and a substantially horizontal end portion, a yoke having aligned apertures in the leg portions, the sides of the yoke being bent inwardly normal thereto and forming lips around the base of the yoke to define e tubular portion for the reception of the horizontal end portion of the saddle post, said yoke having the apertured legs disposed between said projections, aY clamping bolt extending through the apertures in said projections and yoke and means on the coacting faces of said yoke and projections preventing the seat and reach from with respect to the saddle post.

4. A saddle for cycles including a seat and a reach,Y said reach having an enlarged end portion position beneath the rear portion of the seat, a pair of spaced coil springs secured to the seat with the enlarged end of the reach aixed to the m OVlng intermediate portion, said springs having the convolutions of the lower ends progressively reducedY in diameter, a bail secured to the seat and having the depending legs terminating in eyes within the lower ends of the springs, rivets extending through said eyes and the lower end of the reduced Vconvolutions of the springs, the outer end of said rivets having smooth rounded heads merging with the reduced convolutions of the springs.` Y

5. A saddle for cycles, including a seat and a reach, spring means connecting said seat and reach including a pair of spaced coil tension springs secured to said reach and extending therebelow in convolutions progressively reduced in diameter, a bail secured to the seat and having its depending legsl extending downwardly into said spaced springs and terminating in eyes, said eyes being arranged adjacent and in alignment with the lowermost convolutions of said springs and rivets extending through said eyes and through the lowermost convolutions of said springs and securing the same together, the lower ends of said rivets having smooth rounded heads merging with the reduced convolutions of said. springs.

ROLAND W. FAU'LHABER. 

